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Archie Grey And The Pearl Of Atlantis
Archie Grey and the Pearl Of Atlantis, written by is the first book in Archie Grey & The Greek Gods series. Plot Oceanus, Titan of the sea, has stolen the sacred Pearl of Atlantis, which makes it rise afloat every hundred years. Without it, the ruins of Atlantis could be destroyed forever. Meanwhile, a child of Artemis called Archie Grey must go on a quest to save them. Story On a field trip with school, Archie Grey encounters the Golden Hind, a sacred creature of his mother. The deer takes him to Camp Half-Blood, where he is greeted by Max Rivers. Max shows him around camp, and then takes him to the Big House, where he meets Chiron, Mr. D, and Perseus Jackson. Chiron explains more about camp. Suddenly, the Cholchian Drakon appears, and fights Peleus for the Golden Fleece. Many demigods try to kill it, but none succeed. Max takes Archie out and gives him a bow. Archie tells Max he does not know how to use a bow. But, when he tries, Archie strikes the drakon in the eye. The drakon roars in pain, and escapes with the Golden Fleece. Archie is then claimed by Artemis, and the rest of the campers are in awe. Chiron tells him that no demigod has ever been claimed by Artemis before. He is sent to Artemis' cabin. That night, his mother visits him in a dream, telling him the story of how he was born. She then gives him the prophecy for his first quest, a bow, the same one Hercules slaid Geryon with, and a chalice. When he wakes up, he uses the prophecy and sets off on a quest. He chooses two companions, Georgia Nicholson and Oliver Mint. They then travel through Pennsylvania's Allegheny Forest, where they're attacked by Arean Birds. Archie and Oliver discover that Georgia has the mark of Achilles. After the attack, Archie must talk to Arete and Kakia, who offer him a choice. They soon arrive at a store known as Gemini Stuff. They meet Castor and Pollux, who are running the store. They stop in Georgia, where they meet Medea. She tells them bitterly how her old mall was destroyed by three demigods, and that she rebuilt it better. She attacks them with the Colchian Drakon and the Python. The three try to fight them, but they can't beat them. They escape with the Golden Fleece, and rush to Florida. At the Fountains hotel, they meet a little girl, who turns out to be Hebe. Hebe offers them help in exchange for something. Archie gives her the chalice, and Hebe takes them to Poseidon. They ask Poseidon how to get to Atlantis. Poseidon shows them the spring that he made to win Athens with, and says that if they drink from it, they'll be able to drink underwater. They take a drink of the salt water, and get a strange feeling. Poseidon then takes them to the beach, where they jump in. They then are amazed that they're dry and can breathe. A current takes them to the bottom of the ocean, where they can see a beautiful kingdom. The king of Atlantis welcomes them, telling them the story of their kingdom and giving them a place to stay. A day after arriving, Georgia is taken by Oceanus, and chained up for Cetus to eat. Archie and Oliver hurry to save her. They are discussing how to kill Cetus, but she tells them to cut the chains, and then she kills Cetus in one swift move. She can't the cuffs off, but she doesn't mind. They follow Oceanus back to his lair, where they suddenly are intercepted by a goat with a fish tail. Prophecy Deep in the kingdom that has been lost, You shall find what was stolen, but for a dear cost, A demigod born of a broken oath, And two companions, ??? Chapters #My School Bus Almost Crashes Into A Golden Deer #A Giant Snake Comes To Take Some Wool #I Hang Out With The Outcasts #We're Attacked By Bird Feathers #Two Goddesses Appear On My Chariot #We Shop With The Immortal Twins #We Meet A Sorceress #The Golden Deer Gets The Golden Fleece #We Give A Girl A Cup #We Drink Salt Water #We Arrive At The Lost City #Georgia Gets Chained #A Goat-Fish Gets In Our Way #We Defeat The Ocean #We Win The Quest Characters Protagonists *Archie Grey *Georgia Nicholson *Oliver Mint Other Characters *Max Rivers *Perseus Jackson *Chiron *Arete *Kakia *Hebe *Poseidon *Aegipan Antagonists *Oceanus Creatures, Monsters and other stuff *Goldie *Colchian Drakon *Peleus Chapter 1: My School Bus Almost Crashes Into A Golden Deer I tapped my foot on the bus floor, bored out of my mind. I looked around, but all that I saw was people talking, singing and for some reason screaming to pass the time. Out the window was nothing but fields of wheat with an occasional cow. It didn't even moo. I wish I had some kind of friend to talk to but no luck there. I haven't had a friend since my dad died and I was orphaned. I never know what happened to my mum. And I guess I never will. All of a sudden a girl near the front of the bus screeched, shaking the driver's shoulders. The driver shook the wheel and went straight into a fence, running over a cow. Some boys started shouting "That. Was. AWESOME!!!", but I was more focused on the thing that caused all the fuss in the first place. Out of the window, a deer stood proudly. But one thing surprised me about this particular deer. Gold. From head to toe, this deer was made out of solid gold. Strangely, no-one else noticed the unnatural thing. It was definitely a hind. Didn't have any antlers. It started walking towards the bus, and stared at one person in the bus. ME. Slowly the golden hind crept closer and closer to me. I pressed my back into the chair, panting badly. "Stupid deer." The bus driver said. "Heard, like, five of them hang around these parts. Locals say that one in particular's waiting for someone." He started the engine, and the bus started moving again. The deer went out of sight. I breathed a sigh of relief. It was starting to creep me out. As I looked out again, there was a flurry of hooves and I stared into a pair of golden eyes. This deer was not going to give up. It was waiting for someone. Waiting for me. "Can we pull over?" I asked the bus driver. "No way, kid. We need to lose the deer, not let it catch up with us." I knew it was a long shot. But I had too... I jammed the red button, and fell forward. I scrambled back to my feet and ran out of the bus to where the golden deer waited. She and I had a silent stand-off. Sadly, the deer won. "W-What do you want from me?" I stuttered. It took a step forward. I reached my hand out and patted it on its head. "Good girl. You're not going to start talking, are you? Because I'm creeped out enough as it is." It gestured its head across the plains. "Do you want me to ride you, Goldie?" The deer snorted. "Don't call me Goldie", She seemed to say. I gingerly got on her back, tightly holding on to the deer's neck as I was going faster than I ever went before. I don't know what this deer wanted but it must have been important. I closed my eyes and only opened them when the hind stopped in the middle of a forest, next an archway. It had an inscription written on it. "Goldie, I can't read that. I've got dyslexia." I tried to make it out. "Delphi Strawberry Service? You brought me all the way here for strawberries!?" Goldie nudged me with her hoof. The words started to change to something that looked like Ancient Greek. "Camp Half-Blood?" "Why have you brought me here?" I asked the hind, turning around. But it was gone. Vanished into thin air. As I wondered where Goldie disappeared off too, a voice shouted behind me. "Ooh, a newbie! What's your name, kid?" I turned around to see a 16 or 17 year old boy walking up to me. He wore an orange t-shirt and a bow slung across his back. "Kid? I asked you a question." "M-My name is Archie Grey." I stuttered. "Okay. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood, one of the only good places for kids like us." "Kids like us? Kids with no friends, parents, or homes?" "Well when you say it like that, it just makes me feel depressed. But pretty much, yeah." "You've dragged me into Crazytown." "Don't worry. Sure, it's a lot to take in, but -" One of the guys next to him whispered in his ear. "Haven't told him... Oh, right! This is a sanctuary for half-bloods, children of Greek gods and humans. Why are you staring at me like that?" "Because I've lost my mind." "Don't worry. Come in. I'll show you around." I went through he archway and felt a sudden surge go through me, as if the weight of the world had been lifted off my shoulders. "You know that feeling your feeling? How the weight of the world has been lifted off your shoulders? Yeah, it feels even better when you just had the weight of the world on your shoulders. I really feel sorry for that Titan." I stared at him. Maybe I was right. Maybe this was a madman asylum. "I'm a son of Apollo," Max continued, "You know, god of music, the sun, poetry, archery, healing? The guy had a lot going for him. Anyway, I show newbies around. We've got to wait until you're claimed. Who knows? Maybe we'll be brothers!" I kept looking at him, and muttering to myself hopefully, not a lunatic asylum, not a lunatic asylum. "There's the volleyball court, lava climbing wall, forest, hearth. Hey, Hestia! Say hi to the new kid!" A girl was sitting by the fire. She lifted her head and waved to me. "Over there's the Big House. Chiron likes to personally meet new demigods." "Chiron? Who's Chiron?" "In the past, he was a trainer of heroes. Now he's camp activities director. You'll see." That didn't seem too good, but I followed Max to the big blue house in the distance. It didn't look like much, just a poorly painted wooden house with an attic. On the porch sat a half-horse, half-human figure. I tried to hold my breath. Centaurs, were they called? This was crazy. Am I going mad? Who knows? Max stood onto the porch, introducing the three figures sitting around the table. "This is Chiron. Already told you about him. Over there's Mr. D. Also known as Dionysus, god of wine." He pointed to a guy in a loud Hawaiian shirt and then pointed to a guy that looked in his late twenties. "And that's our sword-fighting teacher, Perseus Jackson." "Not another one of you." The man in the Hawaiian shirt grumbled, taking a sip of what looked like Diet Coke. "He's the second this week." "Third, actually." Chiron beamed. "Much better." He set his Diet Coke down. "Be happy for a new kid, Dionysus. Who knows how many more we'll get?" The centaur stood up and patted me on the head like I was an adorable puppy. "WHY WOULD I BE HAPPY FOR A NEW KID? I'D RATHER GET RID OF THEM ALL!" Mr. D shouted, and him and Chiron started arguing. The other guy, Perseus, took me over to the other side of the porch. "Ignore them. So, tell me about yourself. Most demigods have really messed up backstories." "My mom left just after I was born." I started to tell the story. "Happens to most of us. Go on." "I was left with my dad. He was my best friend until I turned four, and he died. Was killed by a bear." "A bear?" Perseus looked surprised. "Probably a monster. Maybe a cyclops, or a hellhound." "And then, I had to use the money he had left to do regular stuff. Go to school, eat." "You had it way harder than me." Perseus said. "Any idea who you're mom might be?" "I don't know." "What did your dad do for a living? That might help." "He was a hunter." I said. "That's the reason he was killed by a bear." Perseus frowned, as if he suspected something bad. "A hunter." "Yeah." I said. "A hunter." "It's getting late." "It's 7pm!" "Unclaimed go in the Hermes cabin. Number 11." He pointed to a grey house at the far end of the camp. "But-" I started, but Perseus had gone back over to Chiron and Dionysus. I made my way over to the grey cabin in the distance, wondering why Perseus had turned all bitter when I told him my dad's job. Did he have a grudge with people who hunted? I reached the front door of Cabin 11. I held my breath, and opened the door. Chapter 2: A Giant Snake Comes To Take Some Wool As soon as I stepped in the building, I nearly got knocked out. Apparently Hermes cabin were having a very extreme pillow fight. "Hey... newbie!" The kid who knocked me over grinned. He held out his hand to help me up. I scowled, but took his hand anyway. "So, son of Hermes?" He said, eying me curiously. I shook my head. "Daughter of Hermes, then?" I gave him one of my "you're crazy" looks that I gave to pretty much everyone I met in this crazy place. When the boy saw my face, he burst out laughing. "I was kidding, man! You should have seen the look on your face. Most people would pay to see that! So, you're unclaimed? That's cool, that's cool." He turned, scanning the room for something, or someone. His eyes rested on a girl who was beating up an eight-year-old with a polka-dot pillow. "Yo, Carol! New dude, unclaimed! Spare beds?" Carol stopped for a second and pointed across the room at a bed in the corner. I saw the little kid trying to escape, but as soon as Carol was focusing on the pillow fight again, the kid got another good whacking. "So, that's your bed. Harry, by the way." "Archie." I said, stumbling towards the bed. "Archie Grey." "Need anything, don't hesitate to ask." He added, before he went and threw his pillow at Carol, and she fell on the floor, unconscious. I sat on the bed. This all happened so fast. Next thing tomorrow, Perseus and I were going to have a little word. Who did he suspect my mother was? Why wasn't he telling me? And just about what was this whole world that I just became a part of? Before I realized what was happening, I dozed off. "What is that thing?" Carol was sitting up in her bed, watching something through the window. "What's it look like?" Harry said, grinning as he got out from under the blankets. "It's hideous. It's got big black horns, and two ugly yellow eyes..." "Hmm... Carol, do you happen to have an identical twin sister?" "I'm serious, Harry." She whispered, her eyes darting back and forth, following a shadow. I got up, and it looked... like a snake. Before I could get a closer look, an alarm screeched. All of a sudden, Harry snapped out of his humorous self and jumped out of his bed. "Monster attack, guys! Serious stuff going on, I'm not kidding, get your lazy heads off off your lazy butts!" Panicking, I ran up to Harry. "Monster attack? You have monster attacks?" The figure in the background got into clear sight. It was definitely a snake, but it was a bout the size of a bus, probably even longer. Curved black horns protruded from the serpent's head. It's tail flicked angrily, like it wanted to kill someone. Glowing slitted eyes blinked and peered hungrily at the dozens of cabins. The rest of the Hermes cabin flooded out of the room, grabbing swords and other lethal weapons such as pillows. "Is that what I think it is, Harry?" Carol said, looking scared. "I have no idea what you're thinking," Harry panted, pulling out a bronze sword. "But if you're thinking what I think you're thinking, than we're in big trouble." Other campers were coming out of their cabins, all looking at the monster slithering around the campfire. Chiron, Perseus and Mr D were looking grim at the sight of the massive serpent. "How'd it get past the borders?" Perseus whispered, watching as the snake hissed and spat. "That is not important right now." Chiron responded, trying to look bold in the face of danger. It didn't work very well. "Ever used a bow, kid?" A voice behind me made me jump. Max was standing there, his eyes on the snake, holding out a bow and a handful of arrows. "10 points if you can hit his belly. 20 for his head. And, a good old 100 for the eye." I gingerly took the bow, trying to figure out how to use it. With my luck, it would probably go the wrong way and hit Chiron in the flank. But, as it seemed, it was much easier than I thought. After a bit of help from Max, I managed to shoot it properly. I closed my eyes, not wanting to look at the serpent, and let go of the string. I heard a scream of pain, and sighed. But when I looked up, the only one I saw writhing in pain was the snake. As it got back up, I saw an arrow shaft in place of his right eye. It let one final hiss, and slithered into the forest. "Children!" Chiron shouted. "I regret to tell you that you just saw a Colchian Drakon. How they got through the borders, we do not know. But much more attacks will be expected. He looked nervously at the woods. Another snake was lying dead on the ground. "Peleus is dead. But, that particular drakon may not bother us again, thanks to the newcomer, Archie Grey." People started clapping. Max patted me on the back. "100 points! Never used a bow before! I got to say, kid, I'm impressed." All of a sudden, people gaped at me, their mouths hanging open. I was wondering what made them change. They all looked taken aback. Chiron stepped forward. "It's not possible." Perseus shook his head, muttering, "I knew it. It's not possible, but I knew it." "What... what is it?" I stared, watching me. Max stood up. "What are you guys all looking at? He's a son of Apollo! That's his symbol, isn't it?" He pointed at a spot just above my head. I gazed up. A circle was hanging in the sky. It looked like a bow and arrow, glowing with a silver light. "Max, you are correct." Chiron said, trotting towards me. "That is indeed you father's symbol. But children of Apollo have bow's with yellow light. That is silver. I am afraid to say..." "You don't mean..." Max started, staring at me, his eyes wide with shock. "Yes. Archie Grey is the first ever son of Artemis." "Artemis? Who's she?" I asked, more confused than ever. "Goddess of the hunt... my dad's twin sister." Max told me. "But you shouldn't be alive, Archie. She's a virgin. There's got to be a mistake." "Everybody!" Perseus intervened. "Just because he's not supposed to be alive..." "Thanks." I muttered. "Doesn't mean he should be treated differently!" Perseus continued, turning to me. "Archie, cabin 8." He gestured to a silver house which was illuminated by the moonlight. When I reached my cabin, cursing under my breath, Harry stalked up to me. "Son of Artemis." He grinned. "I was not expecting that. Wanted to have you in my cabin a little longer. Could have had a pillow tournament." I stared at him and shut the door in his face, collapsing of exhaustion on my bed. It felt... strange, looking at all of the empty beds. It was so different from the Hermes cabin. I decided to get some rest. I closed my eyes and fell into a dream. Chapter 3: I Hang Out With The Outcasts I looked around. Where was I? It looked like a forest, like just outside the camp. But it didn't look like there was anything man-made for miles. As I began to wonder where I was, a voice behind me made me jump. "Hello, Archie." An auburn-haired girl of about my age was sitting against a tree. She was wearing green and silver robes, and a bow was slung across her chest. "Who are you? How do you know me? Why am I here?" Before I could ask any other questions, the girl stood up and put her finger on my mouth. "Be quiet. I'm not even supposed to be talking to you." "Is there someone after you?" I asked. "No questions! I'll tell you what I can." She said, slightly irritated. "Are you... my mom?" She nodded, looking around nervously. "But you look my age." I said. "I am a goddess, Archie. I can look however I please." "And you choose to look like a teenage girl?" "That's not the point! I'm here to tell you... why you exist." "Now this is a story that I want to hear." "How much do you know about Greek myth?" "Near to nothing." "That won't make this easier. So... Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, she doesn't like me because I'm a virgin. So, she tried to make me fall in love with a mortal. She could have done it with anyone! Hestia, Hera, Athena. But she chose me. I fell in love with a handsome hunter known as Henry Grey." "My dad." "Yes... and then, I gave birth to a child, the only child I would ever give birth to." "Me." "I broke my oath. For 12 years, I have been slaving away for the goddess of the River Styx. Styx... she can be nice. But she is the River of Hate, after all." "I'm sorry." "Don't be. It's all Aphrodite's fault! If you ever run into her on one of your demigod quests, make sure to do what you did to that Drakon! She could use a bit of a makeover." "So, that's my story. Do I wake up now?" "No! I want a good chance to speak to my son. Now, I don't usually deal with prophecy, that's my brother's job, but here." Out of thin air, a object materialized. "Is that a rolling pin? Are you expecting to hit monsters with this?" "That is a prophecy, for your first quest." I scanned the piece of parchment. "Deep in the city..." "Not here! And... this is your weapon." She granted me a bow, which was tipped with gold. She also gave me an quiver full of arrows. "That belonged to Heracles, or Hercules. He used it to kill Geryon, the three-bodied man. "And Goldie?" "Excuse me?" "Goldie. The deer that brought me here. Didn't Heracles try to kill her?" "And you claim you do not know Greek myth." She mused. "Goldie. Not the name I would've picked, but I like it. And this... you will know what to do with it when the time comes." She was holding out a shiny golden goblet. "Birthday present for Mr D?" I asked. "I said, "you will know when the time comes". Is that not clear to you? You can wake up now." "But I want to know more..." I said, but Artemis was fading away. When I woke up, the sun was shining through the window. Did that dream really happen? As I sat up, I knew it did. Lying at the foot of my bed were three things. A scroll, a bow and a goblet. A girl was standing above me, eying the items. “The goblet, possibly stolen from the dinner tables for a midnight snack. The bow, from Chiron’s weapon collection. And the scroll, possibly from the Big House attic. You should return that. Other than that, the cabin’s in tip-top condition. We don’t usually inspect this cabin, unless the Hunters are here. I’m Helen, by the way. Daughter of Aphrodite.” “I was told to punch your mom’s face in.” “What?” “Nothing. But these were gifts from my mom. A dream last night.” “Ah... I see. I'll give you a 4 out of 5. Get up, we've got breakfast. And a camp t-shirt. You don’t have one yet, do you?” She tossed me a bright orange t-shirt with the words Camp Half-Blood printed across it. She also threw me a necklace that was obviously meant for beads. I wanted to say thank you, but Helen was gone. I slipped the t-shirt on and went to the pavilion where everyone was gathering. Tables were everywhere. I didn't know where to sit, until Perseus waved to me, and gestured for me to come over. I sat next to him. Two people were sitting across from us. One was a dark-haired girl with a leather jacket over her Camp Half-Blood t-shirt, and the other was a blonde boy with glasses. "Archie, this is Georgia Nicholson, daughter of Hades, and Oliver Mint, son of Asclepius." Perseus said, smiling. "This is the table for people with very, very tiny cabins." "So why are you here?" I asked. I thought staff members might sit here, but Chiron and Mr D were sitting on the other side of the pavilion. "What? You think because I'm the sword-fighting teacher doesn't mean I can't be a camper?" "Yeah, kind of." I said, shrugging. "I'm son of Poseidon. Cabin 2." "He's the sea god, right? Cool." "Yeah. I had a lot of quests when I was your age. Got offered immortality at one point." "Wait... you're immortal? You're a god?" "Nah, I turned it down. Before that, this camp was much smaller." "You turned down immortality?" "Hey, it's not as good as it sounds." He said, biting on a sandwich. "So wish this was blue." "What?" "Nothing. Did you have a dream last night?" He wondered aloud, looking concerned. "How did you know?" I said, confused. The only person I told was that girl, Helen. There's no way word could have gotten around so fast. "Dreams are normal for demigods." He said. He leaned forward in his chair. "So what happened?" I told him everything about the talk with my mother. He nodded, like he understood. But when I told him about how my mom was trapped, he was caught by surprise. "My dad broke an oath on the River Styx when I was born... but that didn't affect him." "Maybe it's because -" I started, but Perseus stood up immediately. "Sorry, Archie. I've got to go. Talk later, okay?" "Ummm... okay." "Good, he's gone." The girl in the leather jacket said. "So... son of Artemis?" "Yeah." I said, disappointed that I couldn't talk to Perseus any more. "Never happened before. Unique. I like it." She smiled. "If you don't mind me asking, can I join?" "Join... join what?" "Quest. Prophecy. You told him, remember. I want to join." "Ummm... okay. Sure." "Tell me the whole prophecy. You didn't tell him about that." "I only remember the first line. Deep in the city that has been lost." The guy in glasses finally joined the conversation. "Prophecies can be interpreted in many different ways. Maybe it means -" "Sounds like Atlantis." Georgia broke in. "Atlantis?" "You know, kingdom that's underwater." "Mint can come too. He won't be useful, though." "Sure I will! I can be healer!" Oliver sounded offended. "You can't heal a paper cut." Georgia said sarcastically. "That was one time! Paper cuts are actually very hard to -" "You can both come!" I said, sick of the two bickering. "For real?" Georgia jumped to her feet. "Always wanted a quest. What should pack? Harpe, clothes, maybe the shield, too." She ran off to a dark house with green smoke surrounding it. "I really wasn't expecting that." Oliver said. "You get two people you just met on a quest with you?" "I'm an unpredictable guy. When do we leave?" "First we tell Chiron, then wait until Georgia packs. Don't worry, she's not a child of Aphrodite. She'll only pack important things, like weapons." "I have three things to pack. My bow, that goblet, whatever it is, 'cause I have a feeling we'll need it, and the scroll." "I'll tell Chiron. Meanwhile, you find us a ride." Chapter 4: I Find A Ride I knew exactly the ride I wanted. My mom's chariot. If I remembered correctly, her chariot was pulled by five deers of pure gold, with Goldie leading them. How I was to get it, that was an entirely different matter. What would be useful would be a deer whistle, or something, so I could find Goldie. Why did she have to ditch me as soon as I got to this place? Maybe she was in the woods next to the camp. Before I knew what I was doing, I wandered away into the forest. "Goldie! You out here, girl?" I called, going from tree to tree. As I called for about the tenth time, I saw a shadow in the nearby tree. "Goldie? Is that you, girl?" The shadow grew bigger and fell across me, and my mouth dropped open. "You're not Goldie." Truthfully, I had no idea what it was. One thing's for sure, it wasn't Goldie. As soon as I saw it, I ran. I searched all day for Goldie, with no luck. That night, at dinner, I sacrificed some pork to my mom, praying that she'd help me. "Come on, mom." I whispered, as I watched the smoke rise to the heavens. "Help. If I'm going to succeed in this quest, let me have your chariot." "Hey, Archie." Max said, right next to me. "I would've never thought... it wasn't possible. I thought for sure you were my brother." "Don't worry." I said, shrugging. "It's not your fault." "You're going on a quest, right?" Max asked. As he saw my quizzical look, he laughed. "Word gets around quickly around here. But why'd you invite the son of Asclepius and the daughter of Hades?" "Why not?" I said. "They're losers, Arch. Outcasts." "Don't say another word, Max. I thought -" I was cut off by a noise that shook the entire pavilion. "What was that?" A roar came from the forest. A lumbering giant came staggering out, a bloodshot eye looking at each and every one of us. As soon as I saw it, I realized it was the monster from before. "Two monster attacks in two days? That's not natural." Max said, dropping the hot dog he was about to sacrifice to Apollo. "And a cyclops, no less." The giant lifted his fist and went for the hearth. Hestia, the little girl, got out of the way before it was too late. As people tried to defeat it, I sprinted back to my cabin to get the bow. When I got back to the pavilion, I pulled the string, and the arrow rocketed right at the cyclops' heart. He burst into golden dust. "That cyclops was way too easy to kill." Max sighed. "How are you so good with the bow?" "That is not the matter at the moment." Chiron said. "The matter is why the monster managed to get through the borders." "Yeah. Do you have any idea why, Chiron?" Max said. "The Golden Fleece." Chiron said, turning to look at the pine tree at the edge of camp. "What about it? Is it losing it's power?" Max asked, following Chiron's eyes. "It's gone, Max. The Golden Fleece is gone." "You mean... the Colchian Drakon stole it?" "I believe the Colchian Drakon stole it, yes, but under the influence of someone much more powerful." "Who?" "I do not know the answer to that." Chiron turned to me. "This may turn up in the quest. Good luck, Archie." "Sorry for running out on you yesterday." Perseus said, taking a seat next to me. "Heard about a quest... need to find a ride, huh? I suggest -" "I know what I want." I cut in, munching on a sausage. "Oh, you do! What?" "My mom's chariot, you know?" "Ah... cool." "I just can't find it." "Oh. Okay." Perseus looked like he was deep in thought. Suddenly, he let out a shrill piercing whistle. I saw a dark shape fly across the sun, and all of a sudden, a raven-black horse appeared right next to the table. "How many times do I have to tell people! No Pegasi in the dining pavilion!" Shouted Mr D from his table. "Sorry, Mr D! Just got to ask him something!" "Yo boss!" The horse neighed, which took me by surprise, since horses can't talk. At least I thought they couldn't. "Got any donuts?" "No, Blackjack." Perseus said, looking slightly annoyed. "Archie here wants something. Can you help?" "Ask the kid if he has donuts." Blackjack added. Perseus turned to me. "Blackjack wants to know -" "Cinnamon!" Blackjack put in. "If you have any -" "Sorry, Blackjack, got no donuts." "How did you -" "Who did you say the kid's godly parent is?" Blackjack asked, looking at me suspiciously. "Blackjack, Archie Grey is the first ever son of Artemis." "Son of..." Blackjack choked, if horses can. "Son of Artemis? How is that possible?" Perseus put his hands up in an "I give up" gesture. "Don't ask me. He's wondering where he could find his mom's chariot." "Do you really think I care about a group of obnoxious deers who think they're better than Pegasi because they're golden?" "Ummm... no." Perseus said, trying to calm the stallion. "We just need help." Blackjack started trotting around the table. "Yeah? Wrong person -" He paused. "horse to ask." "So who do you suggest to help us?" "I don't know. Asbolus?" "Who's Asbolus?" "Crazy guy in the forest. Can tell the future, supposedly." "How come I've never met him?" "Haven't looked hard enough?" "Where is he?" "In the forest, I just said that." "I mean where in the forest." "In a cave." "Lead us to him." "Give me donuts." "No." "Fine." Blackjack turned and started galloping towards the woods. Perseus was running after Blackjack, so I started following too. "Perseus?" I said, looking at him. "Don't you think that maybe... this Asbolus guy isn't normal?" "Of course he's not normal. Here what Blackjack said? Crazy guy, lives in cave, sees future. That's not normal at all." "I know, but I think there's something that your horse hasn't told us." "We'll find out anyway, won't we?" "Good point." We came to an abrupt stop. Blackjack had his wings out in front of us to stop us moving. "Okay, guys." He neighs, lifting his hoof. "Quiet." He hit his hoof two times on the cave, and a voice rang out from inside. "What do you want?" "Yo, Asbolus, Blackjack here, got some friends who want to meet you!" "Friends? What sort of friends? What species?" "Human. Well, and half-god, but you know." "From the camp? Then no." "Oh, come on." "Demigods are untrustworthy! They will stab you in the back!" "WE WON'T, SO SHUT UP!!!" Perseus roared, stopping the argument. "So come out of there and stop being an idiot!" Asbolus came and poked his head out of the cave. "Ah... I've heard of you... Perseus Jackson..." "Yeah, now you'll tell me what I need to know or I'll run you through with my sword!" "See? Demigods are arrogant, ignorant, stupid creatures. We centaurs are much more civilized." "Hang on... centaur?" "Did I not mention?" Blackjack said, looking bemused. "Asbolus is a centaur. He's not a Party Pony. Yet he's nothing like Chiron either. Well, you have fun!" He spread his wings and started flying off. "Blackjack, come back!" "I hate demigods." Asbolus said, watching us. "Well, come in. I have wine." Perseus held out his goblet, ready for another refill. "You've had enough." Asbolus scowled, turning to me. "I'm too young." I said. "I know that!" He snapped. "You seek your mother's chariot?" "Yes. Do you know where it is?" I asked hopefully. "No. But I have heard rumors. It is indeed in this forest, and it has been since Artemis broke her oath. But they say you can only find it at night time." "Night time?" "She is the moon goddess, is she not?" "Well... are the rumors true?" "They are rumors, boy. Learn the definition of the word." Asbolus turned to Perseus, who was waiting patiently for us to finish our conversation. He was also a bit drunk. "You may leave now." "What? Leave? Oh, good. Come on, Archie, cheeseburgers in my cabin." Chapter 5: I Meet Goldie's Friends As soon as Georgia saw me at dinner, she ran up to me eagerly, Oliver following right behind. "Chiron gave us permission! We can go as soon as you find a ride. Mint said you were looking for one." "I - I can't. I've got to wait until tonight." "So we can get killed by the patrol harpies? Is that your master plan?" "No! I mean, Asbolus -" "Asbolus?" "Centaur. Lives in the forest. Anyway, he told me that the chariot could only be found at night." "What chariot? What are you talking about?" "My mom's. You know." Category:Inferno999 Category:Archie Grey & The Greek Gods Category:Books